Game Day Grades - No.2 Arizona

Benjamin Worgull and

03/29/2015

LOS ANGELES - The University of Wisconsin is headed to its second straight Final Four after one of the greatest offensive performances in NCAA tournament history, as the Badgers shot 78.9 percent in the second half against a tremendous Arizona defense to win 85-78. BadgerNation hands out the grades.

Offense: A

When a team shoots almost 80 percent in the second half of a regional championship game against the third-best defense in the country in terms of efficiency, anything short of an “A” would be foolish.

Wisconsin started off aggressive. More specifically, Frank Kaminsky did. After the senior started off slowly against North Carolina, Wisconsin made a point to get Kaminsky involved in the scoring early and often. However, Kaminsky was just 1-for-5 with five points in the first five minutes. It turned out to be a little bit of a tease.

Kaminsky finished with 29 points (9-for-20), more points than he scored in last year’s Elite Eight matchup against Arizona, and was able to get deep in the post against the platoon of defenders that had the task of covering him. The Wildcats were able to make Kaminsky take some off balance shots in the early going, but he settled into his own as the game progressed.

“I was a little out of control in the first half, throwing up some wild shots, trying to play too fast, trying to make everything,” said Kaminsky. “Get a 10-point lead in one shot. So I just knew I had to calm down in the second half and work through my teammates and work within the offense and try to figure out what we needed to do to push out the lead. And I was able to get some stuff inside. I hit a three to start the second half. So it was just one of those things where I was trying to make too many things happen in one possession.”

Sam Dekker carried the load for the Badgers, as his 20 second half points helped bring Wisconsin back from down 33-30 at halftime. Dekker knocked down the biggest 3-pointer in the game to make the lead 84-76 with just under 20 seconds to play. He finished 8-for-11 from the field (6-for-6 in the second half) and 5 of 6 (5 of 5) from the 3-point line.

“I just knew I had to stay aggressive,” said Dekker. “Getting to the line that last play of the first half (making two free throws) really gave me some confidence knowing I could take them off the dribble inside. Rondae and Stanley are two physical, good defenders, but we as a team were able to get them into a little bit of foul trouble and that really helped. So that opened up the driving lines for myself.”

Nigel Hayes was in foul trouble most of the game, but he made his presence behind the 3-point line felt when he returned in the second half. Hayes finished with eight points, but shot 2-for-4 on 3-pointers.

Bronson Koenig had a tough game with Gabe York and T.J. McConnell matched up tight on him, finishing with six points on one attempted field goal, as well as having three assists to two turnovers.

Wisconsin was able to influence the pace of the game just the way it usually does, but the game was also slowed down with the amount of whistles there were. The Badgers’ hot second half helped them finish 55.6 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent (12 of 18) from 3-point range, with 11 assists on 25 made field goals.

Defense: B

Wisconsin struggled to completely stop the Wildcats from scoring in the post (38 points in the paint) but halted Arizona’s 3-point shooting because Josh Gasser was in tight defensively on TJ McConnell and Stanley Johnson. The Wildcats only attempted six 3-point shots, making two of them. That factor gave the Badgers a huge edge.

Arizona was able to score in the paint almost at will during stretches of the game. After missing last year’s matchup with an injury, Brandon Ashley made a difference this time with 17 points on 5-for-8 from the field and while grabbing four rebounds. He was also 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also took advantage of spotty post defense by the Badgers by chipping in 17 points and hit 5-for-6 from the free throw line. The Badgers had a hard time stopping dribble penetration at times in the game. That led to some of their season-high 21 team fouls and 30 free throw attempts for the Wildcats. Arizona shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 93 percent at the free throw line.

Wisconsin was outrebounded by the Wildcats 22-21, but the Badgers held the edge in offensive rebounds, 4-3, registered five steals and forced 10 turnovers. Wisconsin also hustled to numerous loose balls that could have gone either team’s way, another reason why UW is making its fourth Final Four appearance in school history.

Overall: A

Wisconsin had to earn its second straight trip to the Final Four, and it was earned with hot shooting from beyond the arc and timely stops. The offense may have started with Kaminsky, but when the Badgers needed a shot, Dekker stepped up and took it without flinching.

It was an all-out dog fight that turned into a whistle fest in the second half. Even so, Wisconsin – per usual – never lost its composure and played smart, fundamental basketball, finishing with only nine turnovers. Arizona averaged over seven steals a game, prided itself on its length and athleticism, but finished with only five.

Wisconsin didn’t get much scoring production from its bench but got solid production from Duje Dukan. With Hayes and Kaminsky both in foul trouble at stretches throughout the game, the senior played 18 minutes and scored all five points off the bench.

As a team, Wisconsin held Arizona’s bench to 13 points, the first time this season the Wildcats had lost when their bench had registered more points than their opponent.

In order for the Badgers to get over the hump and win two more games this season, their post defense will need to continue to improve.

Game MVP: Sam Dekker was cool, collected and on fire throughout the second half after a slow start. Dekker topped his performance in the Sweet 16 to notch a new career-high in points, hitting contested and uncontested shots that silenced the pro-Arizona crowd and gave life to Wisconsin’s offense. Dekker’s ability to get to the rim forced Arizona’s defense to spread out and avoid clogging the post, which only opened up his long ball more.

“Sam's just a heck of a player. He's really picked up his game now when it matters the most,” said Gasser. “In the past few weeks, he's had a great year. And this tournament, he's really shown his full arsenal offensively and defensively. Once he's in a rhythm like that, I know he's pretty hard to stop. So it was almost get him the ball because you could tell he wanted it. When he's confident like that making plays, being aggressive, this is the stuff that happens.”

“I was a little out of control in the first half, throwing up some wild shots, trying to play too fast, trying to make everything,” said Kaminsky. “Get a 10-point lead in one shot. So I just knew I had to calm down in the second half and work through my teammates and work within the offense and try to figure out what we needed to do to push out the lead. And I was able to get some stuff inside. I hit a three to start the second half. So it was just one of those things where I was trying to make too many things happen in one possession.”

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Sam Dekker carried the load for the Badgers, as his 20 second half points helped bring Wisconsin back from down 33-30 at halftime. Dekker knocked down the biggest 3-pointer in the game to make the lead 84-76 with just under 20 seconds to play. He finished 8-for-11 from the field (6-for-6 in the second half) and 5 of 6 (5 of 5) from the 3-point line.

\r\n\r\n“I just knew I had to stay aggressive,” said Dekker. “Getting to the line that last play of the first half (making two free throws) really gave me some confidence knowing I could take them off the dribble inside. Rondae and Stanley are two physical, good defenders, but we as a team were able to get them into a little bit of foul trouble and that really helped. So that opened up the driving lines for myself.” \r\n\r\n

Nigel Hayes was in foul trouble most of the game, but he made his presence behind the 3-point line felt when he returned in the second half. Hayes finished with eight points, but shot 2-for-4 on 3-pointers.

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Bronson Koenig had a tough game with Gabe York and T.J. McConnell matched up tight on him, finishing with six points on one attempted field goal, as well as having three assists to two turnovers.

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Wisconsin was able to influence the pace of the game just the way it usually does, but the game was also slowed down with the amount of whistles there were. The Badgers’ hot second half helped them finish 55.6 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent (12 of 18) from 3-point range, with 11 assists on 25 made field goals.

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Defense: B

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Wisconsin struggled to completely stop the Wildcats from scoring in the post (38 points in the paint) but halted Arizona’s 3-point shooting because Josh Gasser was in tight defensively on TJ McConnell and Stanley Johnson. The Wildcats only attempted six 3-point shots, making two of them. That factor gave the Badgers a huge edge.

\r\n\r\n

Arizona was able to score in the paint almost at will during stretches of the game. After missing last year’s matchup with an injury, Brandon Ashley made a difference this time with 17 points on 5-for-8 from the field and while grabbing four rebounds. He was also 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

\r\n\r\n

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also took advantage of spotty post defense by the Badgers by chipping in 17 points and hit 5-for-6 from the free throw line. The Badgers had a hard time stopping dribble penetration at times in the game. That led to some of their season-high 21 team fouls and 30 free throw attempts for the Wildcats. Arizona shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 93 percent at the free throw line.

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Wisconsin was outrebounded by the Wildcats 22-21, but the Badgers held the edge in offensive rebounds, 4-3, registered five steals and forced 10 turnovers. Wisconsin also hustled to numerous loose balls that could have gone either team’s way, another reason why UW is making its fourth Final Four appearance in school history.

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Overall: A

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Wisconsin had to earn its second straight trip to the Final Four, and it was earned with hot shooting from beyond the arc and timely stops. The offense may have started with Kaminsky, but when the Badgers needed a shot, Dekker stepped up and took it without flinching.

\r\n\r\n

It was an all-out dog fight that turned into a whistle fest in the second half. Even so, Wisconsin – per usual – never lost its composure and played smart, fundamental basketball, finishing with only nine turnovers. Arizona averaged over seven steals a game, prided itself on its length and athleticism, but finished with only five.

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Wisconsin didn’t get much scoring production from its bench but got solid production from Duje Dukan. With Hayes and Kaminsky both in foul trouble at stretches throughout the game, the senior played 18 minutes and scored all five points off the bench.

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As a team, Wisconsin held Arizona’s bench to 13 points, the first time this season the Wildcats had lost when their bench had registered more points than their opponent.

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In order for the Badgers to get over the hump and win two more games this season, their post defense will need to continue to improve.

\r\n\r\n

Game MVP: Sam Dekker was cool, collected and on fire throughout the second half after a slow start. Dekker topped his performance in the Sweet 16 to notch a new career-high in points, hitting contested and uncontested shots that silenced the pro-Arizona crowd and gave life to Wisconsin’s offense. Dekker’s ability to get to the rim forced Arizona’s defense to spread out and avoid clogging the post, which only opened up his long ball more.

\r\n\r\n“Sam's just a heck of a player. He's really picked up his game now when it matters the most,” said Gasser. “In the past few weeks, he's had a great year. And this tournament, he's really shown his full arsenal offensively and defensively. Once he's in a rhythm like that, I know he's pretty hard to stop. So it was almost get him the ball because you could tell he wanted it. When he's confident like that making plays, being aggressive, this is the stuff that happens.”\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When a team shoots almost 80 percent in the second half of a regional championship game against the third-best defense in the country in terms of efficiency, anything short of an “A” would be foolish.

Wisconsin started off aggressive. More specifically, Frank Kaminsky did. After the senior started off slowly against North Carolina, Wisconsin made a point to get Kaminsky involved in the scoring early and often. However, Kaminsky was just 1-for-5 with five points in the first five minutes. It turned out to be a little bit of a tease.

Kaminsky finished with 29 points (9-for-20), more points than he scored in last year’s Elite Eight matchup against Arizona, and was able to get deep in the post against the platoon of defenders that had the task of covering him. The Wildcats were able to make Kaminsky take some off balance shots in the early going, but he settled into his own as the game progressed.

“I was a little out of control in the first half, throwing up some wild shots, trying to play too fast, trying to make everything,” said Kaminsky. “Get a 10-point lead in one shot. So I just knew I had to calm down in the second half and work through my teammates and work within the offense and try to figure out what we needed to do to push out the lead. And I was able to get some stuff inside. I hit a three to start the second half. So it was just one of those things where I was trying to make too many things happen in one possession.”

Sam Dekker carried the load for the Badgers, as his 20 second half points helped bring Wisconsin back from down 33-30 at halftime. Dekker knocked down the biggest 3-pointer in the game to make the lead 84-76 with just under 20 seconds to play. He finished 8-for-11 from the field (6-for-6 in the second half) and 5 of 6 (5 of 5) from the 3-point line.

“I just knew I had to stay aggressive,” said Dekker. “Getting to the line that last play of the first half (making two free throws) really gave me some confidence knowing I could take them off the dribble inside. Rondae and Stanley are two physical, good defenders, but we as a team were able to get them into a little bit of foul trouble and that really helped. So that opened up the driving lines for myself.”

Nigel Hayes was in foul trouble most of the game, but he made his presence behind the 3-point line felt when he returned in the second half. Hayes finished with eight points, but shot 2-for-4 on 3-pointers.

Bronson Koenig had a tough game with Gabe York and T.J. McConnell matched up tight on him, finishing with six points on one attempted field goal, as well as having three assists to two turnovers.

Wisconsin was able to influence the pace of the game just the way it usually does, but the game was also slowed down with the amount of whistles there were. The Badgers’ hot second half helped them finish 55.6 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent (12 of 18) from 3-point range, with 11 assists on 25 made field goals.

Wisconsin struggled to completely stop the Wildcats from scoring in the post (38 points in the paint) but halted Arizona’s 3-point shooting because Josh Gasser was in tight defensively on TJ McConnell and Stanley Johnson. The Wildcats only attempted six 3-point shots, making two of them. That factor gave the Badgers a huge edge.

Arizona was able to score in the paint almost at will during stretches of the game. After missing last year’s matchup with an injury, Brandon Ashley made a difference this time with 17 points on 5-for-8 from the field and while grabbing four rebounds. He was also 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also took advantage of spotty post defense by the Badgers by chipping in 17 points and hit 5-for-6 from the free throw line. The Badgers had a hard time stopping dribble penetration at times in the game. That led to some of their season-high 21 team fouls and 30 free throw attempts for the Wildcats. Arizona shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 93 percent at the free throw line.

Wisconsin was outrebounded by the Wildcats 22-21, but the Badgers held the edge in offensive rebounds, 4-3, registered five steals and forced 10 turnovers. Wisconsin also hustled to numerous loose balls that could have gone either team’s way, another reason why UW is making its fourth Final Four appearance in school history.

Wisconsin had to earn its second straight trip to the Final Four, and it was earned with hot shooting from beyond the arc and timely stops. The offense may have started with Kaminsky, but when the Badgers needed a shot, Dekker stepped up and took it without flinching.

It was an all-out dog fight that turned into a whistle fest in the second half. Even so, Wisconsin – per usual – never lost its composure and played smart, fundamental basketball, finishing with only nine turnovers. Arizona averaged over seven steals a game, prided itself on its length and athleticism, but finished with only five.

Wisconsin didn’t get much scoring production from its bench but got solid production from Duje Dukan. With Hayes and Kaminsky both in foul trouble at stretches throughout the game, the senior played 18 minutes and scored all five points off the bench.

As a team, Wisconsin held Arizona’s bench to 13 points, the first time this season the Wildcats had lost when their bench had registered more points than their opponent.

In order for the Badgers to get over the hump and win two more games this season, their post defense will need to continue to improve.

Sam Dekker was cool, collected and on fire throughout the second half after a slow start. Dekker topped his performance in the Sweet 16 to notch a new career-high in points, hitting contested and uncontested shots that silenced the pro-Arizona crowd and gave life to Wisconsin’s offense. Dekker’s ability to get to the rim forced Arizona’s defense to spread out and avoid clogging the post, which only opened up his long ball more.

“Sam's just a heck of a player. He's really picked up his game now when it matters the most,” said Gasser. “In the past few weeks, he's had a great year. And this tournament, he's really shown his full arsenal offensively and defensively. Once he's in a rhythm like that, I know he's pretty hard to stop. So it was almost get him the ball because you could tell he wanted it. When he's confident like that making plays, being aggressive, this is the stuff that happens.”